He needs to keep his action, and either A: Be able to take Enhanced Scopes, or B: have a natural low PS (although I guess that can kind of be achieved with decoy).

Btw, Horton has one of the best abilities in the game, it just suffers from the ship he's in. It also becomes more viable everytime new torpedoes are released. Horton + Ion Torps sounds fun.

Horton loaded up with fletchette torps is only 29 points.... crap that's the same as Wedge.

Common consensus says Fel's Wrath.

I don't think anyone else's ability is truly bad though (at least on the Imp side of the fence). For the most part, abilities in this game are simply overshadowed by other pilots' abilities. Heck; Jax and Fel make the rest of the interceptors look like shite, but really Kanos' extra damage for the cost of an evade or Cowell's choice of K-turn speed on reveal? Those are really quite good. But for the extra couple points you have Fel or Jax, so no one ever thinks of them.

The only thing I can think of that makes these abilities seem bad is that they're either on the wrong ship, or that faction has no synergistic way of making that ability worth it. The Shuttle pilots for instance are all GREAT abilities, but in order for them to work the rest of the Imperial list has to sacrifice it's strength: mobility, by sticking near the shuttle. Or in the unfortunate case of Mr Steele, the TIE Advanced is just not worth it. If he were in an Interceptor, for example, he'd be one of the scariest pilots on the board.

Common consensus says Fel's Wrath.

I don't think anyone else's ability is truly bad though (at least on the Imp side of the fence). For the most part, abilities in this game are simply overshadowed by other pilots' abilities. Heck; Jax and Fel make the rest of the interceptors look like shite, but really Kanos' extra damage for the cost of an evade or Cowell's choice of K-turn speed on reveal? Those are really quite good. But for the extra couple points you have Fel or Jax, so no one ever thinks of them.

The only thing I can think of that makes these abilities seem bad is that they're either on the wrong ship, or that faction has no synergistic way of making that ability worth it. The Shuttle pilots for instance are all GREAT abilities, but in order for them to work the rest of the Imperial list has to sacrifice it's strength: mobility, by sticking near the shuttle. Or in the unfortunate case of Mr Steele, the TIE Advanced is just not worth it. If he were in an Interceptor, for example, he'd be one of the scariest pilots on the board.

Some abilities are bad only because they cost too much, as well. Major Rhymer is the poster boy for this--you look at his ability and think "ooh wow, he'll actually make Advanced Proton Torpedoes worth using!" Then you see his cost and you're like "holy jesus tapdancing christ I have to pay five points to fire the five point and single use advanced torps at range 2?" That's some crack-pipe point costing on top of the already LSD-induced-hallucination costing of the Adv Torps right there.

Can someone explain how abilities suddenly cost points?

Ten numb has an excellent ability, but it's WAY over-costed. I'm mean absolutely ludicrously over-costed.

I actually think that Ten Numb and Maarek Stele would both be pretty good if they switched abilities.

I have seen Porkins used quite effectively with R5-D8 and Push the Limit. Activating Porkin's ability has a 3/8 chance of dealing damage, and activating R5-D8 has a 5/8 chance of repairing it.

So what you're saying is you're paying a premium for an ability to shed stress at a chance of causing damage to yourself, then an additional premium for a smaller chance to repair that damage, and a further premium to generate the stress in the first place?

I'm saying that, if you want to spend the points, you can abuse his ability to never deal with stress, and you likely won't be penalized for it. On the other hand, you can just use the ability when you really need it (which tends to be late in the game). His cost is very reasonable for a medium/high PS ship with an EPT.

Arvel needs to be able to keep his action after he bumps, then he would be great.

RAMMING SPEED!!

Arvel would be awesome with advanced sensors. If he could boost before he moved, he would be so much fun to use.

Fel's Wrath, and Arvel Crynyd. Kath's ability is pretty crappy but you don't take her for that you take her because she is a PS 7 firespray and while I'm thinking about it I don't really care for Rex Brath's ability either at this time, amazing if it EVER goes off but usually never does. I've only managed to trigger it maybe twice, again taking him for PS 8 defender not his ability.

Fel's Wrath, hands down.

I did not see it myself. I heard about it after the tournament, but it's too funny not to share.

At some point in Thursday's preliminary flight at Nationals, a player attacked his opponent's interceptor. This damage would have destroyed the Interceptor, except that said squint was Fel's Wrath. Per his pilot ability, Fel's Wrath stayed on the game board. To add insult to injury (the injury in this case is having a ship destroyed, not playing Fel's Wrath generally), the first player's Phantom, who would not have otherwise had a target, was able to shoot the destroyed-but-not-removed Fel's Wrath in order activate Advanced Cloaking Device.

When I heard this story, it was prefaced with, "we found another reason not to take Fel's Wrath."

I was about to argue that Winged Gundark was worse... but I think I'll shut up now.

Winged Gundark. Simply compare to Ethan's ability and you'll see the imbalance

Mareek suffers from being in the worst ship in the game, and being compared to the pilot with the best ability in the game.

Horton, Ten and Kath suffer from being in ships incompatible with their abilities. If Kath and Ten didn't have 3 attack dice, their effects would come into play more, and Horton rarely uses range 3

If Arvel and Fel's Wrath were PS 1 and cost an appropriate amount of points they would be great

Kagi can completely shut down bomber lists if he's built correctly, and can effect almost the whole board

Can someone explain how abilities suddenly cost points?

Its what a non-unique pilot costs over a generic pilot minus the increase or decrease in PS.

Take a Rookie pilot at PS 2 costing 21 points. Then lets look at a PS 3 Tarn Mison costing 23 points. In general 1 PS equals 1 point. Really its 0.5 points when you look at VI, but in most cases they round up when they cost generic pilots. So for Tarn Mison you are paying (0.5 rounded up) 1 point for the PS increase to 3 and 1 point for his ability.

Some pilots abilities cost a lot less than others. Nightbeast is really cheap, his ability only costs 0.5 points plus the other half point for the increase in PS to 5 over a Black Sqd. Pilot. Really you are only paying for the 1 point increase in PS.

The math isn't exact for everyone, but its basically how it boils down. Some pilots abilities are just too costly. Ten Numb's ability is a 3 point cost. He's 6 PS over a Blue at 22 points, which is a 6 points increase, (0.5 rounded to 1, 1 X 6) plus another 3 for his ability bringing you to 31 points.

Rhymer's is crazy. 26 points for Rhymer - 16 points for a Scimitar = 10 - 5 points for PS 7 to 2 = 5 points for his ability.

Rhymer would be ok though if ordnance didn't cost so **** much.

Best I've seen - Fel's wrath, killed by corran horn on the double tap, kills corran horn on the following turn for the win.

No votes for Horton yet?

FEAR HIS BEAUTIFUL MUSTACHE!!! THE GREAT MUSTACHIO!!!

Horton has an incredible pilot ability. It's almost a free target lock and has awesome synergy with proton torpedoes. Just a shame it's on a Wave 1 Y-wing.

I'm flabbergasted by the people listing Biggs as one of the worst - he's so clearly one of the best in the game. If anything I dont run him because his ability is too good. The value he provides is arguably more potent the further this game develops.

Fels wrath. But not allowing him because he's so obvious goes maarek Steele. Then the shuttle pilot that forces target locks.

A man after my own heart.

I just don't understand why Horton and Dutch don't have EPT. It's a massive slap in the face to Y-Wing fans, and really something that needs to be rectified. The unique astromech was a step in the right direction, but it still costs a point and can only be used on one ship in the fleet.

The Y-Wing will hopefully receive a nice overhaul as a result of Scum & Villainy, but its pilots need some love too.

Lt. Lorrir for the aforementioned reasons and the fact that he's tantalizingly close to be being a good (almost great) pilot. Taking that stress after using his ability is like a kick in the nads. Very painful.

I agree with previous posters that Rymer sucks as well. He wouldn't be so bad if ordinance didn't cost so much. It's when you compare him to Jonus that you realize how crap Rymer really is. He should have been cheapened, or just redisgned, or scrapped. As he is now, I guess he's alright in epic play.

I've said my piece about Boba. I'm glad the new round of designers did some justice for him in the Scum and Villainy box.

I'm disappointed about how easy it is to play some Rebel pilots. E'tan Abat has a flash light that gives crits to his friends out to R3. That's pretty easy mode there. Way to deprecate the ships with no shields.

Fel's Wrath, hands down.

Maarek Steele and Arvyl Crynyd get honorable mentions.

A-Wing Test Pilot with Intimidation helps out Arvyl a lot. Pilot Skill 6 makes it a little harder to use, but I think Intimidation saves Arvyl from being on a list of worst pilot abilities.

At least his ability is flavorful

Yummm, taste the failure!!!

All my points have been covered already... except one:

FET DOES NOT SIT BELOW LANDO, CHEWY, AND DEFINATELY NOT BIGGS! (in Star Wars ICONography)

Guys, we all know Wedge is the best. (being serious) He doesn't whine a lot, and he blows up 2 death stars.

Porkins can damages himself and doesn't hurt the opponent unless the action he otherwise couldn't have taken adds damage to his attack. Worst ability by far aside from Fel's Wrath, Arvel Crynyd, Ten Numb, Imperial Firesprays, and even some pilots who are actually good.

I made some changes to your post. I have seen Porkins used quite effectively with R5-D8 and Push the Limit. Activating Porkin's ability has a 3/8 chance of dealing damage, and activating R5-D8 has a 5/8 chance of repairing it.

A 3/8 chance to do damage to himself is still a 100% opportunity to damage yourself. No other pilot does damage to their own ship.

Fels wrath. But not allowing him because he's so obvious goes maarek Steele. Then the shuttle pilot that forces target locks.

I like Kagi because it can tank those rebel builds that use allot of target locks while your interceptors can close in and get the kill.

As for Fels Wrath I am surprised they didn't give that ability to the A-wing pilot that kamakazied into the bridge of the Executor after he was hit. I think it is a fun mechanic, like the FAQ if Hann killed it in the end phase it still gets another turn.

As for abilities I don't see a worse but I do see ones that are not played as much. Especially on Interceptors. I don't see Tetran Cowall the master of K-turns and the only pilot that can do a 1K. Lieutenant Lorrir is also a rare one however I don't know why as his ability can be the best using bank templates for barrel rolls at the cost of a stress. This interceptor can joust against a B-wing being able to go head on then get out of its firing arc while keeping the ship in its sights.

As for Fels Wrath I am surprised they didn't give that ability to the A-wing pilot that kamakazied into the bridge of the Executor after he was hit. I think it is a fun mechanic, like the FAQ if Hann killed it in the end phase it still gets another turn.

Arvel_Crynyd is the A-wing that crashed in the bridge of the Executor. Which is why he has the ability to attack any ship he is touching (crashing into) within his firing arc. Not a bad ability, but I never really use him.

Fel's Wrath seem to be the loser which is one-use ability that may or may not activate in a game. Marak Steele does not have a bad ability, but he is on a ship that can't hit anything and he is always attacking a ship with shields. SO his ability isn't used much.

I don't care much for Porkins ability to possibly hurt himself just to remove stress.

Arvel_Crynyd is the A-wing that crashed in the bridge of the Executor. Which is why he has the ability to attack any ship he is touching (crashing into) within his firing arc. Not a bad ability, but I never really use him.

If only Arvel had a Systems Upgrade slot, he'd be the perfect blocker...